How A Drug Conviction Can Affect Your Future
Unfortunately, a drug conviction can have long-term consequences. And often, these long-term consequences severely impact a person’s life. Therefore, if you are facing drug charges (whether misdemeanor charges or felony charges), you need to retain a skilled defense attorney if you still haven’t. A qualified defense attorney can help you avoid a conviction.
So, how can a drug conviction affect your future? Read on to find out.
Collateral Consequences of a Drug Conviction
After being convicted of a drug crime, on top of serving time in jail and/or paying fines, you may face other non-legal consequences. These non-legal consequences that convicted individuals face are known as collateral consequences.
Once convicted of a drug crime, the conviction goes on your criminal record. While you may be eligible to have your criminal record sealed, there is no guarantee that your petition will be approved. This means a drug conviction can stay on your criminal record forever.
A drug conviction on your criminal record can affect your chances of getting employment in the future. An increasing number of employers are starting to run background checks on candidates before deciding whether to hire them. A drug conviction on your criminal record can prevent you from getting a job in certain industries, including law enforcement, nursing, or legal practice.
A drug conviction on your criminal record can affect your loan eligibility. A bank or another financial institution may refuse to give you a loan if it is discovered that you have been convicted of a drug crime. You might be considered a high-risk client if you have a drug conviction on your criminal record.
A drug conviction on your criminal record can also affect your ability to rent a home. More and more landlords are running background checks on potential tenants. A drug conviction on your criminal record might make a landlord apprehensive about you and your activities.
Apart from a drug conviction having the power to affect your employment opportunities, eligibility for loans, and ability to rent a home, it can increase your punishment for any future crimes you may be convicted of. For instance, if convicted of a second drug crime, you may face more severe consequences than you faced for the first drug crime conviction.
Additionally, a drug conviction can have an impact on child custody. If you happen to be involved in a child custody battle, a drug conviction could call into question your character. No one wants to lose custody of their child. So, if you are convicted of a drug crime, you can be sure that your child’s other parent will use that conviction against you.
Lastly, you could lose some of your rights if convicted of a drug crime. For example, you could lose your right to bear arms after being convicted of a drug crime.
The list is endless. If you are facing drug charges, you will want to present a strong case, and an attorney can help you do this.
Contact an NYC Narcotics Crime Attorney
If you are facing drug charges and need help presenting a strong case so you can increase your chances of avoiding a conviction, contact the NYC narcotics crime attorney at Mark I. Cohen, Esq., at 212-732-0002.
Source:
nycourts.gov/courthelp/Criminal/sealedRecords.shtml
